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For Heat, four possible options for seventh seed

With two weeks left in the season, Miami is virtually locked into the No. 2 seed, so it simply needs to wait to see who steps or slides into the 7th seed.

Now, suddenly, there are four possibilities.

It won’t be Boston. The Celtics now hold a three-game lead over Philadelphia, and are playing at a much higher level. The Celtics will likely be seeded fourth, the lowest they can be as division winners.

But it could be Orlando.

Dwight Howard’s herniated disk will shelve him for 10 to 14 days.

That news come with the Magic just three games ahead of the Knicks and 76ers for the sixth spot.

It’s very possible that, without him, Orlando could drop five or six of its final seven games, allowing New York or Philadelphia an opportunity to move up.

The Bucks now sit ninth, two games behind both New York and Philadelphia.

So what’s the best option for Miami:

Well, it’s still the 76ers. Miami has a stranglehold on that head-to-head series.

Next up: Milwaukee. Miami did lose twice to the Bucks, who have added Monta Ellis. But it’s hard to see how the Bucks take more than one game.

New York or Orlando?

Well, that depends, of course, on Dwight.

Herniated disks often don’t completely clear up in two weeks, so you have no idea how he’ll play if he returns. If he’s at 80 percent, Orlando presents more problems than the Lin-less (and maybe, depending on how he recovers, Amare-absent) Knicks. With the Heat overcommitting to Howard, the Magic’s three-point shooters — and embattled but imaginative coach — could steal a couple of games.